Kia Motors launches serial production of the all-new 2011 Sportage SUV in Europe…

Kia Motors Slovakia today launched serial large volume production of its brand-new Sportage crossover. The vehicle, which made its official worldwide premiere at the 2010 Geneva Auto Show earlier this year, will be built in Slovakia (Europe) alongside completely redesigned Hyundai ix35 (known also as Hyundai Tucson in some markets) and cee’d hatchback.

According to Kia, the launch of a new model is expected to boost production of Kia cars in Europe back to pre-crisis levels. “We plan to produce more than 35.000 units of new Sportage SUV until the end of this year, while the overall production is expected to soar from 150.020 units produced in 2009, to around 200.000 units by the end of 2010.

“Spacious and practical Kia Sportage is our next step forward. The adjustment of production lines and installation of technologies for its production was realized from the beginning of the year and the trial production went smoothly. On July 28th, we are launching the volume production in which we focus on quality, productivity and efficiency. We believe to fulfill our production plan and new Kia Sportage will become our key product on the European market,” said In-Kyu Bae, President and CEO of Kia Motors Slovakia.

The all-new Kia Sportage is currently available in Europe with a 2.0L R-diesel engine that can develop 136 or 183 horsepower and 2.0L four-cylinder gasoline engine that generates 163 horsepower. The engine line-up will be expanded later in the year, when the automaker plans to introduce an all-new 1.7L diesel and 1.6 gasoline units.

The 2011 Sportage SUV is fitted with a fuel-saving ISG (Idle, Stop & Go) system that helps reducing fuel consumption while the engine is idling. The vehicle also features several body elements that reduce air resistance and ensures that the fuel consumption decreases at higher speeds.

Kia offers its new Sportage SUV with a choice of 10 exterior colors. As we have seen on teaser images earlier this year, there’s also a new attention-drawing exterior paint in the Sportage color pallete. Kia calls it Techno Orange.

For the first time, Kia Sportage will also be equipped with an automatic parking system, which will help the driver to park the vehicle. Kia says the driver only needs to find the suitable parking place and switch the button. The vehicle will then move automatically to a desired parking place. The only thing that driver needs to do is to control the speed of the vehicle. Nice feature, isn’t it!? Hopefully, it will soon appear in other Kia vehicles!

All-new Kia Sportage 4×4 goes through final development testing before it goes on sale in the UK.

The all-new Kia Sportage is probably the hotest-looking crossover vehicle that is set to hit the UK roads this year. Featuring Kia’s new design direction, the vehicle is facing some final suspenson development works before it enters the UK market.

UK is the largest European market for Kia Motors, therefore the company wants to ensure that the 2011 Sportage not only looks good and feels European but also performs just as UK customers expect it to. Following the Soul crossover, Venga mini-MPV and Sorento crossover, the forth-coming Kia Sportage 4×4 is already the fourth Kia to be specifically developed with UK roads and drivers in mind.

When Kia launched new Soul in the UK, it was announced that the company had worked with Lotus engineers to create a bespoke ride and handling package for the vehicle. This time, nobody said anything about the Lotus company, so it is quite possible that Kia engineers used their experience from previous projects and worked on the entire suspension set-up on their own…

To find out more about the development of new Kia Sportage 4×4 read the official press release from Kia Motors UK:

The new Kia Sportage, which goes on sale in August, is Kia’s latest European-designed model to have been specifically developed for the UK’s roads and drivers. Research and development experts from Kia Motors UK have been involved with the testing of the new Sportage, to be built at the plant in Slovakia, from the prototype stages in mainland Europe right up until final testing in the UK itself during the early part of 2010.

Kia Sportage 4×4 crossover gallery:

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The Kia Soul hamster commercial has been receiving raves not only from viewers and car owners but also from a number of award-giving organizations. It was recently honored as the Nielsen “Automotive Ad of the Year” for effectively gaining positive consumer recollection. It takes creativity and pure genius to come up with a TV commercial that can stand out from so many commercials and be remembered by the viewers.

Both the TV commercial and the vehicle itself, the 2010 Kia Soul five-door urban passenger vehicle, are uniquely styled and reaping so many awards. Recently, the American Marketing Association based in New York awarded its Silver EFFIE Award to the cool and hip Kia TV hamster commercial. The EFFIE Awards (short for effective) annually select and honor the most effective advertising campaigns in the United States. Kia Soul’s television commercial won the EFFIE in the “David vs. Goliath” category. As the title of the award implies, it cites smaller, new or emerging brands that stood up to challenge industry leaders head-on.

Quite appropriately, the TV commercial was created by David&Goliath media outfit for Kia. The hip commercial shows an entire city and suburban streets inhabited by hamsters who senselessly run in place inside their exercise wheels.

A Molten Red Kia Soul then pulls up and hip-hopping hamsters inside the Soul roll down the window as they tap to the music inside the car. These hamsters seem to have discovered “A New Way to Roll” as they bob their heads to the beat of loud music coming from the Soul’s highly specified audio system that includes pulsating speaker lights. The hamsters are listening to four different music tracks that appear in slightly different versions.

Michael Sprague, marketing vice president of Kia Motors America, talks about Soul. “Designed to offer consumers a ‘new way to roll’ with a distinct style and a number of personalization options, Soul is aimed at the young and young-at-heart looking for a vehicle perfectly suited to their personalities”

Sprague then talks about the TV commercial. “The hamsters’ immediate popularity helped position Soul as Kia’s halo vehicle and showcased the brand’s emerging signature design direction, which, along with quality, safety and value, has propelled Kia to tier-one status.”

Regarding the EFFIE Awards, renowned business leaders from different parts of the globe serve as judges. The winners were selected over two evaluation rounds as all the entries were analyzed on a stand-alone basis. They were then compared against the other category finalists.

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The 2010 Kia Venga mini-MPV wins coveted Red Dot Design Award…

Officially launched earlier this year as one of Kia’s newest vehicles, the Kia Venga mini-MPV has already received a couple of awards, the most recent one of which is the coveted Red Dot design award.

The Red Dot award is known worldwide to truly represent outstanding design quality. This complements the earlier award, the iF product design award, already given to the Venga.

A group of top-class judges selected the Venga to win the “product design” category for Red Dot. What was notable in the design of this Kia MPV is its departure from the conventional mini-van profile. The all-new Venga mini-MPV brings a refreshingly new style to a market segment that has long been dominated by function-oriented car designs. The design team of Kia Motors can not be any happier. The company’s Chief Design Officer, Peter Schreyer, said, “Our design teams can be truly proud of this additional Red Dot award. It underscores the success of our design strategy.

B-segment MPVs have traditionally been a class of vehicle purchased for practical reasons. The Kia Venga is set to change that. Its balanced architecture, spacious interior and dynamic silhouette demonstrate that style and utility make a perfect match. The Kia Venga is a car people will want to be seen in.”

Kia and its design team are on a two-year roll. Last year, the Kia Soul received an “honourable mention” in the 2009 Red Dot awards. The Kia Soul was the first-ever Korean car to be recognized and honored with a prestigious international design award.

The red dot award is part of a major worldwide design contest that is being conducted by the Design Centre of North Rhine-Westphalia in Essen, Germany, led by Professor Dr. Peter Zec. The red dot is recognized as the world’s largest annual design competition since 1955. It turned international in 1991.

This year, participating car manufacturers from 57 countries submitted a total of 4,252 product entries to compete for the prestigious red dot award. Judges were international personalities who were highly respected as design experts.

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Kia’s innovative in-car infotainment system, called UVO, honored at the 2010 Telematics Update Awards Conference!

Kia has something new and wonderful up its sleeve. This leading global carmaker announced recently its new, unique, innovative, and high-tech in-car communications and entertainment system – the UVO powered by Microsoft.

This exciting in-car infotainment system is scheduled to debut in select Kia models to be released in the company’s 2010 calendar year. It has already received honors at the annual Telematics Update Awards Conference. This is the world’s biggest forum for telematics industry leaders, recognizing excellent achievements and innovations in the telematics market. The Conference honored the Kia UVO with the 2009-2010 Industry Newcomer Award.

The Industry Newcomer Award recognizes and honors this year’s best new products and companies in telematics. It also helps introduce to the market new ventures that truly show potential and innovation in the field of telematics. Kia Motors is happy to have been recognized by the Award, as Kia was also a finalist for the Car Manufacturer Innovation Award.

The UVO, which is short for “Your Voice”, is set to make driving fun and entertaining for Kia owners. It boasts of the following features: a friendly voice- and touch-activated operation for hands-free mobile phone and SMS text operation while you drive. It also has simple, intuitive, and easy-to-manage music files.

Michael Sprague, marketing vice president of KMA, said, “UVO powered by Microsoft is a breakthrough for in-vehicle infotainment and another solid example of why Kia is a true tier-one automotive brand. With UVO, Kia is able to offer drivers a rich telematic experience and a clear competitive advantage, allowing Kia drivers to safely and easily use all of their personal technologies and create personalized in-car communications and entertainment experiences.”

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Global sales of Kia cars soar 23,4 percent in May 2010!
Kia Motors recently revealed that it has sold a total of 175,098 new vehicles across the globe during the month of May 2010. Compared to a year ago, the automaker achieved a year-on-year sales increase of 23.4%.

In May 2010, Kia accomplished positive year-on-year sales increases in all sales regions, which include the general markets (+59.3% or 37,318 units sold), the Chinese market (28.9% or 26,101 units sold), North American market (19.5% or 37,162 units), European market (18.7% or 34,503 units) and, of course, the Korean market (5.0% or 40,014 units). With a recorded 28.9%, the greatest sales increase was in China.

All together, through the first five months of this year, the worldwide sales of KMC increased by an impressive 38.9% year-on-year sales, which means 820,613 units sold. Now that’s a lot of cars. Sales in China made the highest gain at 92.9%, selling 144,314 units to date in 2010.

There were also significant cumulative sales increases in the other regions, all of which showed double-digits. In the general markets, 174,663 (+58.4%) units were sold; in Europe, 159,073 (+30.5%) units were sold; in Korea, 183,758 (+25.4%) units; and in North America, 158,805 (+15.5%) units.

Overseas, Kia Motors was able to sell 32,498 units of the C-Segment Cerato for the month of May alone. This model is clearly the company’s most promising and best selling car. The B-Segment Rio followed with 18,894 units and the Sportage compact SUV came third with 15,914 units sold. The fourth and fifth, respectively, are the Sorento mid-size CUV and the Soul urban crossover with 14,265 units sold and 11,908 units sold. These are Kia’s top five selling models.

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New Kia Picanto: Next-generation Picanto is scheduled to go on sale in Europe late next year. It will be available as a three door or five-door model. The model will grow in size and will be much safer than existing Picanto (note: the current model only got three stars at EuroNCAP crash tests).

Powertrain updates will include a brand-new three-cylinder turbocharged engine with up to 110 horsepower. An all-electric Kia Picanto is also set to debut within three years, according to latest rumors. Expect the new Picanto to look as stylish as other latest Kia vehicles!

Next-generation Kia Rio: Kia Rio is expected to debut in spring 2011. There are not much of information available at this point except of that Kia will call the model K2 in Korea.

All-new Kia cee’d: The most-popular Kia vehicle in Europe will undergo a major redesign within two years. It will feature new three- and four-cylinder engines, as well as a diesel-hybrid powertrain. Dual-clutch gearbox will also be available according to sources close to Kia.

Kia Forte 5-doo hatchback: Following the Forte four-door sedan and sporty two-door Koup is the five-door Kia Forte. Exhibited for the first time at the New York auto show in April, the Forte hatch brings the long-awaited 6-speed automatic transmission to the Forte range. Hopefully, the 6-speed automatic gearbox will soon appear in other two Kia Fortes.

2011 Kia Optima: Unveiled at New York auto show, the all-new Optima is scheduled to hit the US-market in the second half of the year. The all-new mid-size sedan from Kia Motors is set to take on hot-selling 2011 Hyundai Sonata sedan and other established nameplates, including the Ford Fusion, Toyota Camry and Honda Accord.

Probably, the hottest-looking Kia sedan ever, the Optima features highly advanced powertrain technology such as brand-new 6-speed automatic gearbox and new 2.4L four-cyl. engines with gasoline-direct-injection technology for improved performance and fuel-efficiency. Turbo engine as well as hybrid powertrain will be available for the first time in a Kia vehicle sold on the US soil.

Possible variants of new Kia Optima include Optima Sporty Wagon and Optima Coupe.

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The Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS) presented the “Top Safety Pick” award in the midsize SUV category to the 2011 Kia Sorento compact utility vehicle, along with the 2010 Soul urban passenger vehicle and 2010 Forte compact sedan.

Coming from a sale earlier this year, the Kia Sorento received this honor from the IIHS by having received the highest achievable rate of  “Good” after passing the frontal, side, rear and rollover impact crash safety tests.

On the other hand, the Sedona minivan received the IIHS “Top Safety Pick” and “Safest Minivan Ever Tested” awards just shortly after it was launched in 2006. It then went on to receive the same awards in 2007, 2008 and 2009.

Regarding the top performances of Kia cars, Michael Sprague, the marketing vice president of Kia Motors America (KMA) said, “In addition to offering consumers outstanding quality, appealing new design, comfort and value, the Kia brand is first and foremost committed to providing the highest levels of passenger safety. The 2011 Sorento is an example of Kia’s ongoing and rapid vehicle expansion, demonstrating that buyers can have an affordable, well-equipped and attractive CUV without sacrificing impressive levels of crash protection.”

The Insurance Institute for Highway Safety chooses vehicles for its “Top Safety Pick” award based on results from frontal, side and rear impact crash tests. For the 2010 pick, a new category was added, which was a good performance from a roof strength test that aimed to measure protection in case a vehicle rolls over from an actual crash. Each vehicle was evaluated based on a number of measurements that are specific to each crash angle.

The overall impact on a crash test dummy was also measured as the dummy banged and rolled inside the vehicle at the time of collision. It was important for all the vehicles to have electronic stability control in order to be eligible for the pick.

For a car owner or car buyer whose main concern in purchasing a car is a vehicle’s safety, the 2011 Sorento has plenty of standard safety equipments to offer. All trims (LX, EX and the upcoming SX) for the Sorento come equipped with driver and passenger advanced front airbags, side curtain airbags and front active headrests, front seat-mounted side airbags, four-wheel Antilock Brake System (ABS), Electronic Stability Control (ESC) and Electronic Brake Distribution (EBD).

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Edmunds.com recently honored the 2010 Kia Forte with its Consumers’ Top Rated vehicle award for 2010. Kia Motors America announced on June 3, 2010 that its compact sedan has been recognized as the top-rated sedan under $15,000.

The Forte received this important citation from Edmunds.com for its excellent overall value and wealth of standard features. It is now regarded as one of the best-looking small cars in the market as well as most fun-to-drive vehicles in its class.

Recently, Kia cars are being recognized more and more by car owners and car-related industries. Happy with the accolades given to the Kia Forte, Michael Sprague, marketing vice president of KMA said, “As one of several new vehicles to roll out under Kia’s exciting new design direction, accolades such as this Edmunds.com award, which provides feedback directly from owners, are evidence of Kia’s commitment to consumers by offering vehicles with the content buyers want without breaking the pocketbook.”

Sprague went on to describe Forte by saying, “Forte offers buyers a youthful and dynamically styled vehicle with an impressive array of standard safety features, and being honored as a top-rated sedan under $15,000 by consumers furthers its position as a top contender in its segment and a vehicle that offers the entire package.”

The Kia Forte is one of this South Korea-based car manufacturer’s leading cars. It is available in three trims: LX, EX and SX. The LX trim sells starting at $13,695, while the EX begins at $15,995 and the SX at $17,495. This is very competitive pricing to the delight of car buyers. Not many vehicles or brands can sell a car at these prices considering that the Forte showcases a class-leading combination of standard safety features.

It features active front headrests, front seat-mounted and side curtain airbags, advanced two-stage airbags, four-wheel disc brakes with an antilock brake system (ABS), brake assist (BAS), a traction control system (TCS), electronic brake-force distribution (EBD), electronic stability control (ESC), and a tire pressure monitoring system (TPMS).

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The world’s most important football event with the most popular international football players deserve only the best movers there are, and those are the Kia cars.

The 2010 FIFA World Cup in South Africa has officially chosen Kia vehicles in transporting the teams, officials, delegates, and VIP’s from all around the globe to the different venues of this month-long global spectacle. Kia Motors is the Official Automotive Partner of the 2010 FIFA World Cup South Africa.

This is the 19th FIFA World Cup and it’s being held in Africa for the first time. Kia will be busy transporting players and officials to twelve official stadiums all over the country. These venues are in the following cities: Johannesburg (two venues), Bloemfontein, Cape Town, Durban, Kimberley, Nelspruit, Orkney, Polokwane, Port Elizabeth, Pretoria, and Rustenburg. Five of these stadiums are newly built while the others were upgraded.

South Africa also improved public transport within various cities and localities, as well as prepared special safety and security measures for all its local and international guests.

During the handover ceremony at the Soccer City Stadium in Johannesburg, Kia turned over more than 200 vehicles to the World Cup organizers. The vehicles include the new Sorento SUV, Soul urban passenger vehicle, Sedona multi-purpose vehicle, and a fleet of Kia-liveried buses. The tournament is scheduled to begin on June 11, 2010.

Soon-Nam Lee, the director of Kia’s Overseas Marketing Group announced, “Kia Motors is delighted to play an important part in the upcoming World Cup in South Africa. Being involved actively in football marketing is an integral part of our vision to become a formidable player on the global automotive stage. We have made a strategic effort to boost our young and energetic brand identity by ramping up our presence in major sports sponsorships and to elevate Kia’s global brand awareness to the next level.” Lee was present at the handover ceremony, which was attended by both FIFA and Kia officials.

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The South Korean second largest automaker posts record-high May sales. Kia Forte sales continue to grow!

Kia Motors America announced it has sold 31,431 vehicles in May 2010 in the U.S. market. Compared to a year earlier, Kia’s sales last month were up 20 percent and surpassed the previous May sales record achieved two years ago.

Kia sales last month were lead by stylish Sorento crossover with 8,166 units sold. It was followed by Forte compact car, which saw its sales rise to 7,299 units. This was the best sales result for Kia Forte/Forte Koup since it entered the US market last year. Another Kia vehicle that posted personal best sales was funky Kia Soul crossover. With 6,134 units sold, the 2010 Kia Soul became the third best-selling Kia vehicle in May.

Soon to be replaced Optima sedan and Sportage SUV sold quite well last month. With 2,394 and 2,293 units sold, respectively, they were both tied with Rio subcompact car. Compared to last year, Rio managed to increase its sales by 40 percent compared to last year.

The model, which saw its sales tumble the most was Rondo mini-van, which saw its sales fall from 1,530 units last year, to only 374 units in May 2010. The 7-seat Borrego SUV and Sedona minivan both achieved similar sales as one year ago.

Commenting Kia’s record-breaking sales results was Byung Mo Ahn, president and CEO of Kia Motors America and Kia Motors Manufacturing Georgia who told: ” May sales were led by the U.S.-built Sorento crossover, which is a clear indication that its combination of distinctive design and standout modern technology features is attracting new consumers to the Kia brand. Our continued brand growth supports an aggressive launch schedule of several dramatically designed Kia cars that will build on eye-catching models such as Forte, Soul and Sorento that have created emotional connections with consumers in the USA”

We are all happy to see record May Kia sales, but what we like as well are Kia’s year-to-date-results. Overall Kia sales in the USA so far are up 14,6 percent compared to the first five months of last year. Sorento leads the sales with more than 41,000 units sold, while Forte and Soul are in the fierce battle for the spot number two (26,000 and 22,208 units sold, respectively).The Optima sedan comes fourth and the sub-compact Rio rounds out the top five best selling Kia cars with 11,932 units sold. Read more about Kia Optima sales in February 2011 here.

Kia sales by model: